--> Abstract: Seismic Characterization And Emplacement - Process Modelling Of the Volund 0; #90063 (2007)

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Seismic Characterization And Emplacement - Process Modelling Of the Volund 0.5 Km3 Sandstone Laccolith, Offshore Norway

 

Szarawarska, Ewa Paulina1, Mads Huuse1, Andrew Hurst1, Ravi Arkalgud1 (1) University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom

 

A spectacular subsurface example of sand injectite is the Volund giant complex that is located in the Paleogene of the South Viking Graben (Norwegian North Sea). The sand injectite complex, which is essentially a large sandstone laccolith with associated wing-like edges, measures tens of metres in thickness, crosscuts 250+m of upper Paleocene and lower Eocene strata and covers an area of some 8 km2. Its total sand volume is estimated at 0.5km3. This complex is believed to be the first sand injectite to be deliberately (and successfully) targeted by exploration drilling and the success of the discovery added several tens of millions of barrels of oil reserves to the operator's portfolio. The studies of mechanics of sand intrusions include the modelling of post-depositional sand remobilization using the Discrete Particle Method for sand grains coupled with Finite Element modelling to describe fluid flow. Combining these methods with analogue observational data from key outcrop analogues and selected sand injectite complexes known from oil fields is essential to form a robust understanding of the mechanical processes active during sand injection. The modelling is far from non-trivial as a full description of the process involves fluid and fracture mechanics combined with reservoir engineering to understand the fracture propagation, fluidized flow and pressure depletion within the source bed. However, both intermediate results and a final coupled model may be used to infer process, predict occurrence and perhaps even reservoir distribution in sand injectite fields, and hence should be of significance for hydrocarbon exploration in the North Sea and elsewhere.

 

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90063©2007 AAPG Annual Convention, Long Beach, California